Apple seems to have successfully blocked the cracking tool used by the investigative agency to unlock iPhone on iOS 12

by Koby Kelsey

The fact that the United States Department of Defense purchased the cracking tool " GrayKey " that can unlock at about 5000 yen per iPhone has become a hot topic, but GrayKey is Apple's latest mobile OS " iOS 12 " It is reported that it is becoming useless.

Apple Just Killed The 'GrayKey' iPhone Passcode Hack
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2018/10/24/apple-just-killed-the-graykey-iphone-passcode-hack/

Apple seems to have completely blocked police password cracking tool in iOS 12 - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/24/18019660/apple-blocked-police-password-cracking-tool-ios-12-graykey-law-enforcement

The topic of purchase by the US Department of Defense "GrayKey" is that you can unlock an iOS device such as an iPhone or iPad that is locked without knowing the correct password. It has been used by investigation institutions and law enforcement agencies to find useful information from within the terminals used by suspects.

The US State Department bought a service to unlock iPhone by just 5000 yen - GIGAZINE

In order to protect iOS terminals from cracking tools like GrayKey, Apple implements the "USB restricted mode" which makes it impossible to communicate data via the Lightning port from iOS 11.4.1. However, at the same time, some rumors have already been circulating that ways to devise this USB limit mode have been devised. Indeed, as of iOS 11.4.1 when the USB limit mode was released, it was not possible to completely block cracking tools like GrayKey.

The iPhone gets more secure due to the USB accessory restriction mode added in the latest iOS 11.4.1 - GIGAZINE

However, according to foreign media Forbes reported that the latest iOS 12 is capable of perfectly blocking cracking tools like GrayKey. According to Forbes, on iOS 12, GrayKey can no longer cancel the password, and it seems that it can only access to "unencrypted metadata" such as file size information in the terminal.

It is not clear whether September when iOS 12 was delivered or it was secretly strengthened with security updates since it became possible to completely block GrayKey on iOS 12, At least the latest version of iOS 12 allows you to completely shut out GrayKey.

However, it is not clear what kind of measures Apple has taken to block cracking tools like GrayKey. One expert tells Forbes that "everything is possible from kernel protection to powerful configuration profile installation restrictions", but it is unknown what kind of action Apple actually took.

John Sherwin police officer working at the Rochester Police Station in Minnesota claims that Apple's iOS 12 prevented GrayKey from unlocking. But at the same time, "I am convinced that a solution will be developed over time, will be locked again and this cycle will be repeated", develop a cracking tool like Apple and GrayKey It is said that it will become a company's stomach.